Workshop report
| 
26 Oct 2023
Workshop report |
| 26 Oct 2023
| 26 Oct 2023
Workshop report: PlioWest – drilling Pliocene lakes in western North America
Alison J. Smith
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA
Emi Ito
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Natalie Burls
Department of Atmospheric, Ocean & Earth Sciences, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
Leon Clarke
Department of Environmental Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M15 6BH, UK
Timme Donders
Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CB, the Netherlands
Robert Hatfield
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Stephen Kuehn
Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Concord University, Athens, WV 24712, USA
Andreas Koutsodendris
Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Tim Lowenstein
Department of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
David McGee
Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Peter Molnar
Department of Geological Sciences, CIRES, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
deceased
Alexander Prokopenko
Department of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
Katie Snell
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Blas Valero Garcés
Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE), CSIC, Zaragoza 50080, Spain
Josef Werne
Department of Geology & Environmental Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
Christian Zeeden
Department of Rock Physics & Borehole Geophysics, Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics, 30655 Hanover, Germany
A full list of authors appears at the end of the paper.
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Cedric J. Hagen, Elizabeth J. Trower, Andrea Halling, Sarah J. Hurley, Spruce W. Schoenemann, Miquela Ingalls, and Kathryn E. Snell
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3594, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3594, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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Scientists often read shifts in the chemistry of lake limestones as signs of past global change. We built a free computer model showing that a lake's own algae, its productivity, and its water can create these shifts locally instead. Because the mineral forms fastest at certain times of day, the timing of its formation, not just daily ups and downs, shapes the signal. This means local lake conditions can mimic global change and mislead our reading of Earth's past.
Natalie J. Burls, Nicky M. Wright, R. Paul Acosta, Catherine D. Bradshaw, Edward Gasson, Lennert B. Stap, Gilles Ramstein, Anna Ruth W. Halberstadt, Agatha M. De Boer, Funda Akgün, David J. Cantrill, Manuel Casas-Gallego, Nela Doláková, Boglarka Erdei, Alex Farnsworth, Sarah Feakins, Ran Feng, Tamara Fletcher, Frédéric Fluteau, J. A. Mattias Green, Anna S. von der Heydt, Matthew Huber, David K. Hutchinson, Dimiter Ivanov, Mine Sezgül Kayseri-Özer, Gregor Knorr, Marianna Kováčová, Caroline H. Lear, Allegra N. LeGrande, Shufeng Li, Xiaoqing Liu, Daniel J. Lunt, Katrin Meissner, Yunfa Miao, Trusha J. Naik, Javier B. Navarro, Joseph B. Novak, Diana Ochoa, Guy J.G. Paxman, Matthew J. Pound, James W. B. Rae, Tammo Reichgelt, Martin Renoult, Francesca Sangiorgi, Anta-Clarisse Sarr, Diane Segalla, Pierre Sepulchre, Amelia Shevenell, Sebastian Steinig, Eivind Straume, Caroline A. E. Strömberg, Clay Tabor, Torsten Utescher, Julia E. Weiffenbach, Elżbieta Worobiec, Yurui Zhang, Feng Zhu, Jiang Zhu, Alexandra Auderset, Florence Colleoni, Aisling Dolan, Rachel Havranek, Ann Holbourn, Nicholas Herold, Daeun Lee, James W. Marschalek, Bryce Mitsunaga, Sevi Modestou, Lina Perez-Angel, Mae Saslaw, Sinda Sosdian, Elena Stiles, Yong Sun, Ning Tan, Zhongshi Zhang, and Yan Zhao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3595, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3595, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Geoscientific Model Development (GMD).
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Simulating warm paleoclimates increases our understanding of the mechanisms that drive climatic change and tipping points. The Miocene Epoch, specifically the Miocene Climatic Optimum, has been identified as a particularly valuable past warm climate to simulate, meriting the design of a coordinated Miocene Model Intercomparison Project. Here we synthesize the latest available literature and present the experimental design for coordinated Miocene simulations and sensitivity studies.
Daniel J. Lunt, Nicky M. Wright, Bram Vaes, Ulrich Salzmann, James W. B. Rae, Thomas Hickler, David K. Hutchinson, Julia Brugger, Jiang Zhu, Sebastian Steinig, A. Nele Meckler, Gordon N. Inglis, David Evans, Agatha M. de Boer, Bette L. Otto-Bliesner, Natalie Burls, Yurui Zhang, Appy Sluijs, Tammo Reichgelt, Igor Niezgodzki, Katrin Meissner, Jean-Baptiste Ladant, Fanni D. Kelemen, Matthew Huber, David R. Greenwood, Mattias Green, Flavia Boscolo-Galazzo, Manuel Tobias Blau, and Michiel Baatsen
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 6143–6166, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-6143-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-6143-2026, 2026
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The early Eocene, about 50 million years ago, was a super-warm period of Earth's history, with high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Here, we provide a framework and experimental design for climate modellers to carry out a coordinated project, simulating this period. This is the second phase of this project, and here we provide updated maps of the Earth's mountains and ocean floor, and vegetation, to enable more accurate modelling.
Marie-Luise Adolph, Junbo Wang, Liping Zhu, Leon J. Clarke, Andrew C. G. Henderson, Hendrik Vogel, Gerhard Daut, Peter Frenzel, Jianting Ju, Qiangqiang Kou, Dierk Michaelis, Olga Schmitz, Anja Schwarz, Volkhard Spiess, Arne Ulfers, Cidan Zhaxi, Daniel Ariztegui, Natasha Barbolini, Thorsten Bauersachs, Erwin Braun, Giulia Ceriotti, Brian Grivna, Marlene Hoehle, Rolf Kipfer, Wilhelmine Klamt, Cindy Kunkel, Aliisa Laakkonen, Minghui Li, Qingfeng Ma, Paul Moser Röggla, Kaja Müller, Anders Noren, Ryan O'Grady, Santiago Otero, Maïlys Picard, Anna Pint, Camille Thomas, Jerome Van der Woerd, Mathias Vinnepand, Claudia Wrozyna, Christian Zeeden, Xinghuan Zhu, and Torsten Haberzettl
Sci. Dril., 35, 99–117, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-35-99-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-35-99-2026, 2026
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We drilled deep into sediments beneath a large lake on the Tibetan Plateau, Nam Co, to learn how climate and environments have changed over multiple ice age cycles. The recovered sediments show repeated shifts between major changes in lake conditions, water chemistry, and ecosystems. These findings help clarify how wind systems responded to natural climate cycles and improve understanding of how high mountain regions may react to future climate change and environmental stress.
Irene Julián-Posada, Graciela Gil-Romera, Ana Moreno, Bérangère Leys, Blas Valero-Garcés, and Penélope González-Sampériz
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2563, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2563, 2026
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The subalpine belt of the Pyrenees, once forested, is now a mosaic of forest patches and open landscapes with pastures. We reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental history using sedimentary ancient DNA, pollen and charcoal. We show that Neoglacial cooling initially opened the forest, and pastoralism through fire and grazing maintained it. These landscapes result not from climate or humans alone, but from their long-term synergy, implying that conservation must emulate traditional herding practices.
Cecile S. Hilgen, Rick Hennekam, Marcel T. J. van der Meer, Timme H. Donders, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Francesca Sangiorgi
J. Micropalaeontol., 45, 275–295, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-45-275-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-45-275-2026, 2026
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The Northwest European Shelf plays a key role in the global carbon cycle. To assess its past role, we want to reconstruct primary productivity using microfossils. By comparing surface sediment assemblages with sediment properties and modern environmental conditions, we found a good microfossil-based indicator for primary productivity. This indicator will be useful to reconstruct productivity in the past Northwest European Shelf.
Elizabeth K. Brabson, Loren F. Doyle, R. Paul Acosta, Alexey V. Fedorov, Pincelli M. Hull, and Natalie J. Burls
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 1143–1156, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-1143-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-1143-2026, 2026
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Earth System Models are an essential tool for climate studies, yet temperature-sensitive parameters are often absent, resulting in a gap in model predictive capabilities. Organic carbon breakdown, also known as remineralization, is one such process. Here, we add this parameter to the Community Earth System Model and find improved regional patterns of carbon export. The new code will serve as a useful tool to improve the examination of marine carbon cycle feedbacks to changing climate conditions.
Evan R. Collins, Troy M. Ferland, Isla S. Castañeda, R. Bernhart Owen, Tim K. Lowenstein, Andrew S. Cohen, Robin W. Renaut, Molly D. O'Beirne, and Josef P. Werne
Biogeosciences, 22, 3931–3948, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3931-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3931-2025, 2025
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Archaeal molecular fossils (tetraethers) have been used around the globe to track changes in climate. Little is known about the archaeal response to environmental change in soda lakes, especially lakes influenced by hydrothermal inputs. For the first time in Lake Magadi, we show tetraethers tracking abrupt changes in methane and non-methane producers due to hydrothermal inputs to the lake. This study provides insight into the role of hydrothermal water and methane production in soda lakes.
Matias Romero, Shanti B. Penprase, Maximillian S. Van Wyk de Vries, Andrew D. Wickert, Andrew G. Jones, Shaun A. Marcott, Jorge A. Strelin, Mateo A. Martini, Tammy M. Rittenour, Guido Brignone, Mark D. Shapley, Emi Ito, Kelly R. MacGregor, and Marc W. Caffee
Clim. Past, 20, 1861–1883, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1861-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1861-2024, 2024
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Investigating past glaciated regions is crucial for understanding how ice sheets responded to climate forcings and how they might respond in the future. We use two independent dating techniques to document the timing and extent of the Lago Argentino glacier lobe, a former lobe of the Patagonian Ice Sheet, during the late Quaternary. Our findings highlight feedbacks in the Earth’s system responsible for modulating glacier growth in the Southern Hemisphere prior to the global Last Glacial Maximum.
Yord W. Yedema, Timme Donders, Francien Peterse, and Francesca Sangiorgi
J. Micropalaeontol., 42, 257–276, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-42-257-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-42-257-2023, 2023
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The pollen and dinoflagellate cyst content of 21 surface sediments from the northern Gulf of Mexico is used to test the applicability of three palynological ratios (heterotroph/autotroph, pollen/dinocyst, and pollen/bisaccate ratio) as proxies for marine productivity and distance to the coast/river. Redundancy analysis confirms the suitability of these three ratios, where the H/A ratio can be used as an indicator of primary production, and the P/B ratio best tracks the distance to the coast.
Stephen P. Hesselbo, Aisha Al-Suwaidi, Sarah J. Baker, Giorgia Ballabio, Claire M. Belcher, Andrew Bond, Ian Boomer, Remco Bos, Christian J. Bjerrum, Kara Bogus, Richard Boyle, James V. Browning, Alan R. Butcher, Daniel J. Condon, Philip Copestake, Stuart Daines, Christopher Dalby, Magret Damaschke, Susana E. Damborenea, Jean-Francois Deconinck, Alexander J. Dickson, Isabel M. Fendley, Calum P. Fox, Angela Fraguas, Joost Frieling, Thomas A. Gibson, Tianchen He, Kat Hickey, Linda A. Hinnov, Teuntje P. Hollaar, Chunju Huang, Alexander J. L. Hudson, Hugh C. Jenkyns, Erdem Idiz, Mengjie Jiang, Wout Krijgsman, Christoph Korte, Melanie J. Leng, Timothy M. Lenton, Katharina Leu, Crispin T. S. Little, Conall MacNiocaill, Miguel O. Manceñido, Tamsin A. Mather, Emanuela Mattioli, Kenneth G. Miller, Robert J. Newton, Kevin N. Page, József Pálfy, Gregory Pieńkowski, Richard J. Porter, Simon W. Poulton, Alberto C. Riccardi, James B. Riding, Ailsa Roper, Micha Ruhl, Ricardo L. Silva, Marisa S. Storm, Guillaume Suan, Dominika Szűcs, Nicolas Thibault, Alfred Uchman, James N. Stanley, Clemens V. Ullmann, Bas van de Schootbrugge, Madeleine L. Vickers, Sonja Wadas, Jessica H. Whiteside, Paul B. Wignall, Thomas Wonik, Weimu Xu, Christian Zeeden, and Ke Zhao
Sci. Dril., 32, 1–25, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-32-1-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-32-1-2023, 2023
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We present initial results from a 650 m long core of Late Triasssic to Early Jurassic (190–202 Myr) sedimentary strata from the Cheshire Basin, UK, which is shown to be an exceptional record of Earth evolution for the time of break-up of the supercontinent Pangaea. Further work will determine periodic changes in depositional environments caused by solar system dynamics and used to reconstruct orbital history.
Rachel E. Havranek, Kathryn Snell, Sebastian Kopf, Brett Davidheiser-Kroll, Valerie Morris, and Bruce Vaughn
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2951–2971, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2951-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2951-2023, 2023
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We present an automated, field-ready system that collects soil water vapor for stable isotope analysis. This system can be used to determine soil water evolution through time, which is helpful for understanding crop water use, water vapor fluxes to the atmosphere, and geologic proxy development. Our system can automatically collect soil water vapor and then store it for up to 30 d, which allows researchers to collect datasets from historically understudied, remote locations.
Julia Meister, Hans von Suchodoletz, and Christian Zeeden
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 185–187, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-185-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-185-2023, 2023
Mathias Vinnepand, Peter Fischer, Ulrich Hambach, Olaf Jöris, Carol-Ann Craig, Christian Zeeden, Barry Thornton, Thomas Tütken, Charlotte Prud'homme, Philipp Schulte, Olivier Moine, Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons, Christian Laag, Frank Lehmkuhl, Wolfgang Schirmer, and Andreas Vött
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 163–184, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-163-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-163-2023, 2023
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Loess–palaeosol sequences (LPSs) represent continental and non-aquatic archives providing detailed information on Quaternary environmental and climate changes. We present an integrative approach combining sedimentological, rock magnetic, and bulk geochemical data, as well as information on Sr and Nd isotope composition. The approach adds to a comprehensive understanding of LPS formation including changes in dust composition and associated circulation patterns during Quaternary climate changes.
Lea Schwahn, Tabea Schulze, Alexander Fülling, Christian Zeeden, Frank Preusser, and Tobias Sprafke
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 1–21, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-1-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-1-2023, 2023
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The loess sequence of Köndringen, Upper Rhine Graben, comprises several glacial–interglacial cycles. It has been investigated using a multi-method approach including the measurement of colour, grain size, organic matter, and carbonate content. The analyses reveal that the sequence comprises several fossil soils and layers of reworked soil material. According to luminescence dating, it reaches back more than 500 000 years.
Tabea Schulze, Lea Schwahn, Alexander Fülling, Christian Zeeden, Frank Preusser, and Tobias Sprafke
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 71, 145–162, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-145-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-145-2022, 2022
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A loess sequence in SW Germany was investigated using a high-resolution multi-method approach. It dates to 34–27 ka and comprises layers of initial soil formation. Drier conditions and a different atmospheric circulation pattern during the time of deposition are expected as the soil layers are less strongly developed compared to similar horizons further north. Dust accumulation predates the last advance of Alpine glaciers, and no loess deposition is recorded for the time of maximum ice extent.
Maximillian Van Wyk de Vries, Emi Ito, Mark Shapley, Matias Romero, and Guido Brignone
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2022-29, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2022-29, 2022
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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In some situations, the color of sediment records information about the climatic conditions under which it was deposited. We show that sediment color and climate are linked at Lago Argentino, the world's largest ice-contact lake, but that this relationship is too complex to be used for reconstructing past climate. We instead use this sediment color-climate relationship to show that temperature and wind speed affect sediment deposition in the summer, but not in the winter.
Sarah J. Widlansky, Ross Secord, Kathryn E. Snell, Amy E. Chew, and William C. Clyde
Clim. Past, 18, 681–712, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-681-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-681-2022, 2022
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New stable isotope records from pedogenic carbonates through the ETM2, H2, and possibly I1 hyperthermals from the Bighorn Basin highlight significant spatial variability in the preservation and magnitude of these global climate events in paleosol records. These data also provide important climate context for the extensive early Eocene mammal fossil record from the southern Bighorn Basin and support previous hypotheses that pulses in mammal turnover corresponded to the ETM2 and H2 hyperthermals.
Zixuan Han, Qiong Zhang, Qiang Li, Ran Feng, Alan M. Haywood, Julia C. Tindall, Stephen J. Hunter, Bette L. Otto-Bliesner, Esther C. Brady, Nan Rosenbloom, Zhongshi Zhang, Xiangyu Li, Chuncheng Guo, Kerim H. Nisancioglu, Christian Stepanek, Gerrit Lohmann, Linda E. Sohl, Mark A. Chandler, Ning Tan, Gilles Ramstein, Michiel L. J. Baatsen, Anna S. von der Heydt, Deepak Chandan, W. Richard Peltier, Charles J. R. Williams, Daniel J. Lunt, Jianbo Cheng, Qin Wen, and Natalie J. Burls
Clim. Past, 17, 2537–2558, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2537-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2537-2021, 2021
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Understanding the potential processes responsible for large-scale hydrological cycle changes in a warmer climate is of great importance. Our study implies that an imbalance in interhemispheric atmospheric energy during the mid-Pliocene could have led to changes in the dynamic effect, offsetting the thermodynamic effect and, hence, altering mid-Pliocene hydroclimate cycling. Moreover, a robust westward shift in the Pacific Walker circulation can moisten the northern Indian Ocean.
Christian Zeeden, Jehangeer Ahmad Mir, Mathias Vinnepand, Christian Laag, Christian Rolf, and Reyaz Ahmad Dar
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 191–195, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-191-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-191-2021, 2021
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We investigate two loess–palaeosol sequences in Kashmir. Magnetic enhancement of the loess was strong during stadial phases. Besides classical magnetic enhancement, wind vigour suggests partly strong winds. Grain sizes are dominantly in the silt range and comparable to data from central Asia, which do not suggest transport over high mountain ranges as required for non-local sources in Kashmir. Therefore, we suggest that the Kashmir loess is predominantly of local origin.
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Short summary
Western North American contains accessible and under-recognized paleolake records that hold the keys to understanding the drivers of wetter conditions in Pliocene Epoch subtropical drylands worldwide. In a 2021 ICDP workshop, we chose five paleolake basins to study that span 7° of latitude in a unique array able to capture a detailed record of hydroclimate during the Early Pliocene warm period and subsequent Pleistocene cooling. We propose new drill cores for three of these basins.
Western North American contains accessible and under-recognized paleolake records that hold the...
